Re: how does one measure a big rat?

::My black is somewhere in the neighborhood of 5.5 feet, but I use the very scientific method of holding him up by the tail (not the very very tail, of course) and seeing if he's longer than I am :P. Is there a better way? Of course, you know, his parents were 13 feet long (hey, that's what I was told).

::I measure my snakes by laying them on a piece of foam from and old couch cushion and then gently laying a piece of glass or plexiglass over. Then I take :a marker and trace the length of the snake on the glass. You can then lay a piece of wire or string on the tracing and measure the string:This process will take 2 people one to trace and one to gently hold the glass down to keep the snake from moving.:John

Hey John that's a really cool idea and wold probably work good on any size of snake! one question I have is Is there any danger of the snake being harmed if they bite a piece of cushion off?